Review of The Tragedy of Fidel Castro by Joao Cerqueira

The author prefaces The Tragedy of Fidel Castro with a disclaimer stating that, “All characters and organizations mentioned are entirely fictional.” Yet, from there we follow the story of JFK, Fidel Castro, Fatima, Christ and God Himself. Although the author carefully omits any reference to a particular country or time period, we are aware this is a fictionalized account of the Cuban/American crisis that took place during Kennedy’s presidency.

Far from being a typical account of political tensions between two powerful countries, the author has woven an intricate and thought-provoking tale of what might have happened had God sent his son back to earth to prevent what would amount to Armageddon as a result of an all-out war between the two countries. I was happy to discover that the book never leans or favors one country over another. Neither one escapes the political pokes by the author.

As was mentioned by several other reviewers, this book is definitely not for everyone. It goes off in several directions and is heavy on the intellectual side. However, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s clever, provocative and comical. Light on dialogue, heavy on narration, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro manages to combine religion, politics, philosophy, metaphor and morals all into one fascinating novel.

At one point, as the crisis escalates and war becomes imminent, the devil pays Fidel a visit. A clever exchange between the two ensues. When Fidel asks, “Don’t take this badly, my dear devil, but what if God by chance decides to intervene in the battle as well?” The devil replies, “Just look at the world and tell me who is the strongest!” The author never has to beat the reader over the head with explanations, the implication is there for us to read and interpret for ourselves.

I loved The Tragedy of Fidel Castro! If you’re looking for a unique novel filled with intelligent satire, political farce and an unconventional interpretation of history I highly recommend this book!

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